The final roster of the South Korean short track national team for the 2025-2026 season has been determined.
The Korea Skating Union confirmed the national representatives, with 8 men and 7 women, through the first and second national team selection competitions held at the Mokdong Ice Rink in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, from the 7th to the 13th. Among these, the top three men (two women) secure priority entry for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and individual international competitions.
In the men's division, high school prospect Lim Jong-eon (Nowon High School) claimed the overall first place with a total of 102 ranking points from the first and second selection competitions, securing the Taegeuk mark. He had previously won four gold medals at the ISU Junior Short Track World Championships in February and continued his strong performance in this selection competition, finishing first in the men's 1500m twice, second in 1000m, and third in 500m. Although he placed fifth in the B final of the 1000m in the second selection competition and did not earn points, he maintained his first place with accumulated points.
Lim Jong-eon will take the stage at his first Olympic Games and is emerging as the next generation leader of South Korean short track.
Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office), who competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Olympics, returned to the national team with a total of 89 points, finishing second overall. After being eliminated in last year's selection due to poor performance, he proved his experience by consistently ranking high this year in the 1500m and 500m events.
Rookie Shin Dong-min (Korea University) also delivered an impressive performance. A three-time champion at the Junior World Championships, he finished first in the 500m and fourth in the 1500m in the first selection, and fourth in the 500m and fifth in the 1000m in the second selection, securing third place overall with 55 points, which qualified him for the individual events.
Lee Jeong-min (Seongnam City Hall), who recorded first place in the 1000m, earned a relay spot with a total of 50 points, finishing fourth overall, while Lee Jun-seo (Seongnam City Hall) joined the relay team in fifth place with 42 points. Kim Tae-seong (Hwaseong City Hall), Hong Kyung-hwan (Goyang City Hall), and Kim Geon-woo (Sport Toto) ranked sixth to eighth, respectively, and were classified as national team candidates.
Meanwhile, Park Ji-won (Seoul City Hall) finished 11th in this selection competition and, regrettably, failed to secure a spot on the national team ahead of her first Olympic stage.
In the women's division, Kim Gil-ri (Seongnam City Hall) topped the overall standings with 128 points from the first and second selection competitions. With consistent results in the 1500m, 500m, and 1000m events, Kim secured her entry into the individual events for her first Olympic stage.
Following her, No Do-hee (Hwaseong City Hall) finished second overall with 69 points and will compete in the Milan individual events alongside Kim Gil-ri. Lee So-yeon (Sport Toto) finished third with 57 points, while Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall) placed fourth with 45 points and joined the relay team. Seo Hui-min (Seongnam City Hall), Choi Ji-hyun, and No Ah-reum (Jeonbuk Provincial Office) ranked fifth to seventh, making them national team candidates.
Meanwhile, Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) already secured national team qualification for the next season with her gold medal at the 2025 ISU World Championships and did not participate in the selection competitions. She, along with Kim Gil-ri and No Do-hee, has already secured entry into the women's individual events.
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